Saturday, 22 February 2014

Somalia presidential palace hit by car bomb, gun attack

Debris after an attack in front of Somalia's presidential palace on
February 21, 2014 in Mogadishu. At least 14 people were killed on
Friday, including five Somali officials or soldiers plus nine attackers,
in a suicide attack by Al Shabaab rebels against the presidential
palace in Mogadishu, police said.

Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab rebels launched a major
suicide commando attack on Friday against the heavily-fortified
presidential palace, home to the country's internationally-backed
government, police and witnesses said.

A huge car bomb exploded at the perimeter of the
central Mogadishu complex, and a group of around a dozen suicide
attackers breached the Villa Somalia compound. Al Shabaab rebels
immediately claimed responsibility.

The UN's special envoy to Somalia said the
country's president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, had telephoned to say he was
unharmed in the attack against the complex, one of the best-defended
locations in the war-torn country.

"There is a large attack on the presidential
palace. Initial reports are that a suicide car bomber hit the gate and
exploded, then men with guns followed," police officer Mohamed Ali told. Another source said he saw at least nine gunmen attack.

"Security forces are dealing with terrorists who
blew up a car... and there is exchange of fire. We have no details of
the casualties but of course there are casualties," said Ahmed Moalim
Adan, a security official near the scene of the attack.

Witness Hussein Isa said the attackers were fighting inside the presidential compound.

"A suicide bomber rammed a car full of explosives
into the perimeter wall of the presidential palace and another one with
heavily armed men penetrated the area where the first one hit. There is
heavy exchange of gunfire continuing inside the building but we cannot
tell what is happening," said the witness.

A military spokesman for Al Shabaab said that the group was behind the attack.

"Our commandos have attacked the so-called
presidential palace in order to kill or arrest those who who are
inside," Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abu Musab said.

"We are still holding some of the buildings and
the fighting is continuing. The enemy had suffered a great deal of harm
but I don't have the exact casualty figures," he added.

The attack came just a week after the militants
carried out a suicide car bomb attack at the gates of Mogadishu's
heavily-fortified international airport, and the Al Shabaab spokesman
said the group wanted to show "that no place is safe for the apostate
government.
The airport, so-called presidential palace and anywhere in Somalia can be attacked as we plan," he warned.

The sound of intense gunfire and numerous
explosions could be heard coming from the presidential complex, but the gunfire then died down -- although it was not
clear if the complex had been fully secured.

In a message on Twitter, UN special envoy Nick Kay
said the president "just called me to say he's unharmed" and that the
"attack on Villa Somalia had failed."
Sadly some lives lost. I condemn strongly this terrorism," Kay's message said.